Why force kids to go out and beg?

[Minou]

Okay, I know a lot of people don't like being asked for charitable donations at cash registers. But twice now in the past week, I've happened across kids collecting money in buckets and boxes for their extra activities. Last week, it was Cadets, and this week, it was Panthers Gymnastics. The little girls from Panthers were in groups of four or five at all the Sears entrances, asking for money. I checked online, and their gymnastics club handbook outlines required fundraising activities, and this "tag day" is one of them.

Now, Panthers gymnastics is for kids whose parents pay a pretty penny to enroll them -- these are in no way disadvantaged children. I have no problem if people are selling chocolate bars or magazines, having a car wash, or running a barbecue to fundraise for their extra activities, but I do have a problem with kids being forced to go out and basically beg for funds for their own gymnastics club/team/activity. If kids are going to be involved in fundraising that involves asking for donations from passersby, I think they should be doing it for an actual charity they're interested in supporting -- not for themselves and their leisure activities.

My dad says he saw them outside of Sobeys today, and because they had what looked like poppy boxes, he had a loonie out as he approached from the parking lot... and was surprised that he didn't get a poppy!

Ugh... anyone else encountering this on a regular basis?

[KrazE]

I'm sure my response is not going to be popular lol..

I despise this charity stuff when I am out shopping. You get accosted at every store if you have a few to visit for deals, and not only do they surround you on your way in to the store, but they make a second attempt on the way out; even worse is when you tell the kids "no thank you" the adults there with them look at you like you're lower than street grime for saying no.

I really wish that stores would stop this practice as it's been getting out of hand in the last couple of years with hyper kids stopping shoppers entering and exiting stores; it almost feels like aggressive panhandling to me, which is illegal in Ontario under the Safe Streets Act, 1999 in which it specifically states

Obstructing the path of the person solicited during the solicitation or after the person solicited responds or fails to respond to the solicitation.

and

Continuing to solicit a person in a persistent manner after the person has responded negatively to the solicitation. 1999, c. 8, s. 2 (3)

Since a response was already given on the way in, by legal definition, the pack of kids stepping in front of customers trying to leave the store who were already stopped on the way in becomes aggressive panhandling.

Anywho, that's my feeling on it - doesn't mean anyone else has to agree, but others should at least respect the differing of opinions.

[couponclippercaitie]

I don't mind supporting children's activities, because I do know how costly it can be, but I'd rather they hold a car wash, or sell apples (love those boy scouts), or chocolate bars/cookies ... It happened to me in Sobeys last night, and the doorway is quite narrow, and there was a teenage girl on each side of the door holding a money jar. For whatever reason it actually makes me quite uncomfortable. Perhaps because I never have change to give them, I don't know, there's just something about it that I don't like.

Also, speaking of cookies, the MINT girl guide cookies are back! (at $5 a box!!!! ) But I think I'm still going to buy some, they're delicious!... Makes me feel old, they were $2 a box when I sold them LOL

[bargain_hunter_lola]

I also dont mind the kids trying to raise money. Extra activities can be quite expensive, I know here it's about $300 to enroll my 3 year old but that doesn't even cover ALL the costs, so they fundraise for part. It's nice to teach children they have to work for their activites and that parents shouldn't just pay for everything.

Having said all that, I would prefer if they were actually providing a product or service to raise the funds - rather than just donations. There are lots of things they could do (sell coupon booklets, Chocolate Bars, Nuts, BBQ's, Bake Sale, Carwashes, Yard Sale, Art Sale, community bingos, Christmas carolling, Gift wrapping, 50/50 draws or product draws from things people donate).

[bekki3]

Yesterday at the LCBO there was a soccer team (from the town over too) asking for money to help their team. And yes, we gave since my daughter's soccer team for 3 years now has done the same thing at this same store. However, I don't think it is right at all to 'beg' for money so my kid can play rep.

I have 3 kids in rep sports (winter & then summer sports) and I think sports has gotten WAY out of control. You don't just go out and play anymore, you have to buy the bags, tracksuits, sweatshirts, extra time training, etc, etc. Someone the other day said that it's the adults that are wrecking kid's sports and taking the 'fun' out. I agree, I wish they could just play a rep sport without all the useless extras!!

[bargain_hunter_lola]

Can I ask what a "rep" sport is?

I do agree costs have gotten out of hand. There's no reason kids have to buy all kind of extras - the uniform should be the only thing they need.

I almost died when I had to pay $100 for my 3 year old to have dance lessons - 6 in total but they cancelled 1 so we paid $20 per lesson for a 3 year old to dance around for 45 minutes. She didn't really even learn much. Sure she had a lot of fun dressing up and dancing with other kids but for the cost it wasn't worth it, so we didn't enroll her for the next session.

[i_forget]

Glad I am not the only one that hates these fundraisers.

I have 4 different fundraisers that I have to do RIGHT NOW. I just want to go tell everyone to shove it up their @$$e$.

The costs for leisure activities should be covered in the dues, and if they need things for the classrooms, well that money should come from the Ministry of Education.

Fundraising should be for charities only.

[PammieD]

I personally only support kids fundraising when a) they are doing something for it, like selling raffle tickets, bottle drives, SOMETHING, b) the kid can actually explain what the $ is going towards.

I know girl guide cookies are a normal thing to support, but my former nieces (I divorced out of the family), were selling girl guide cookies. I asked the 7 year old (with full intentions of buying some), what the $ goes towards. She couldn't tell me & all of a sudden looked petrified. My former SIL looked at me like I was evil for asking. Sorry, but I don't get it. In my day (and I'm only 31) girl guides didn't cost $150/kid, plus uniforms & wkly dues, just to be held in a gym or church basement plus having to go sell stuff at a pretty precious price ($5 for a small box of cookies is making someone a good chunk of change). What's the $ go towards?

I've fundraised PLENTY in my day - especially for trips for extra-curricular teams/groups like band etc. But...I always knew what the $ was going towards, and we always did something for the $ instead of just asking for a donation. I used to live within a block of 3 elementary schools and always ALWAYS supported kids if they knew what was going on. Like $40 worth of chocolate bars (there was a new playground in the works at one of the schools), bottle drives, mag subscriptions etc.

K, rant over.

[lghend]

I agree with all of you. I am sooooo glad that my children are grown and I don't have to deal with any of that anymore. I still cringe remembering how I scraped together the money to put my daughter in syncho swim (and it WAS expensive) and then I was required to buy a new EXPENSIVE bathing suit for EVERY meet. I worked for a man who was very clear when he hired me that children were no excuse for taking time off, so when there was a meet out of town the organizers made me feel like a horrible mother for not taking time off to go. Everytime I turned around there was something else I was required to pay for. And we did fundraise by selling products from a magazine. My daughter absolutely loved synchro but that was the last time I put her in it.

[couponmummy]

I had a couple of girls come to my house asking for a donation and then get a free gift, fake flower, bouquet, or some knick knack for their cause. I gave them a couple of bucks and said where's my free gift. No gift because I didn't give mininum. Wanted to say as they walked away, hey, I want my money back!!

[Poirot]

I had a couple of girls come to my house asking for a donation and then get a free gift, fake flower, bouquet, or some knick knack for their cause. I gave them a couple of bucks and said where's my free gift. No gift because I didn't give mininum. Wanted to say as they walked away, hey, I want my money back!!

They would have had more money towards whatever raising money for if they didn't buy those so called free gifts.

[screamy]

This sort of thing bugs me too. And (not to segue the rant over to another topic, but...) the solicitors all over the streets for Greenpeace/WorldVision/SickKids Hospital/fill-in-the-blank charity....they drive me NUTS.

I have to run a gauntlet of at least six of them on my walk home most nights, it's enough to make me want to try to endure the TTC instead. The last time one of them stopped me, I told them that even though I support the charity they were representing, I was going to call them and withdraw my support until they stopped doing aggressive street-level donation solicitations.

It's official: I am a curmudgeonly, misanthropic old fart. *shakes fist* Now STOP BOTHERING ME!!

[Shwa Girl]

Minou, I agree. It 's too much.
It will get worse as we go closer to Christmas time.

Last year, the Sally Ann lady in the grocery store exit was a little aggressive with me. I told her we gave monthly to the Sally Ann so would not give to the kettle on top. She backed off and remembered me each time I was in the store - no more aggressive sales pitch.

Minou, sometimes the store has not given permission for soliciting outside their store. I go to customer service to ask and usually they are surprised that it is going on outside.

[kerrylj]

The Cadets have tag days which helps to support their program (which is amazing BTW) because the government has cut back so much on their support. Some of these youth go on to join the military and defend our country. A fair number of the youth in the Army, Navy, and Sea cadet programs come from families without alot of income and these programs help the youth turn their lives around. Their program is offered without cost to the families.

I know that these youth do many other volunteer projects all through the year and these tags days are not them begging for money. If you don't want to given then say no thank-you.

The cadets also do the poppy program and it is a volunteer service and they get nothing for it. All the money raised goes to the legion to support the VETS. This is not the kind of fundraising that is done for other programs like sports. If these youth were not doing the fundraising for this perhaps the Vets should do it?

Some of the fundraising gets a bit much however some of the programs that do need to fundraise so they can give back to the communities in ways that are so unseen but beneficial that our communities would be much worse off if they where not able to raise the needed funds to do their work.

BTW it is Oct so if you donated to the Tag day for the Cadets you would get a tag and not a poppy. Poppy event is outlined above and supports the Vets directly.

Cadet programs:
http://www.armycadetleague.on.ca/main/
http://www.aircadetleague.com/
http://www.cadets.ca/sea-marine/

[DianneS]

I am happy to support children's programs if I know the kids or if it is a cause that is dear to my heart. My rule is, though, that I won't by junk I don't need (like chocolate covered almonds). My kids fund-raised and I never expected people to buy things out of guilt or obligation. I don't have a problem with saying 'no thanks, not today' but I do hate 'running the gauntlet' on the way in and out of the grocery store. On of the malls in our area that allows fundraising but limits it to two kids at the entrance at any time....and the fundraising group has to make a $50 donation to BC Children's hospital in exchange for the opportunity to fund-raise at the mall for a week-end. I like that idea because not only are kids doing something for themselves but they are helping others at the same time.